Garuda and

Garuda and
privatization

The editorial on the privatization of Garuda Airlines which
appeared in The Jakarta Post on Thursday, Dec. 8, 1994, certainly
points to a number of constraints that Garuda Indonesia faces in
meeting international conditions, such as the layers of
bureaucratic procedures. Another would relate to the problems of
introducing new aircraft, particularly on the European Asian
route. However, the lack of a competitive edge suggested as a
result of inadequate human resources is both unfair and
inaccurate.

On the contrary, it is the human resources of Garuda
Indonesia, in spite of institutional constraints mentioned, that
has enabled the Airline to compete on international routes.
Unfortunately this is often overloaded by critics who continue to
fly other airlines other than the national carrier, and are
therefore not aware of the progress achieved. As Garuda Indonesia
continues to compete effectively with foreign carriers, it's
human resources deserve recognition.

JOHN JOHNSON

Jakarta